The invention relates to a road-marking complex comprising at least a first and a second road-marking unit.
The invention further relates to a road surface provided with a road-marking complex.
The invention also relates to a system for marking roads comprising one or more road-marking complexes, a control system for the road-marking complexes and means for coupling the road-marking complexes to the control system.
Such road-marking complexes are used in traffic-control systems for marking traffic routes for vehicles, such as roads for cars and other road users, and runways for aircraft. One of the methods used by traffic planners in their attempts to reduce traffic jams is a so-called "tidal flow system". In such a dynamic system, the direction of the traffic of multi-lane roads is changed at one or more lanes in accordance with the direction of the main flow of traffic. In an alternative embodiment, the number of lanes available to traffic moving in a specific direction is increased or reduced, dependent upon the amount of traffic. A problem with these methods resides in the indication in a flexible manner of the direction of the desired flow of traffic for a specific lane, or in changing the arrangement of the traffic route in a flexible manner. Known means for indicating the desirable direction of the flow of traffic include signaling lights beside or above the traffic route.
Said road-marking complexes cannot only be used as dynamic road-marking complexes; they can also be given static applications. Static applications of road-marking complexes include marking parts of traffic routes (for example straight parts or bends) so as to give guidance to the direction of the traffic under certain weather conditions, for example during fog, rain, black ice, etc., and/or under certain light conditions, such as daylight, twilight, a low position of the sun, night, etc.
Road-marking complexes can be provided in a road surface of the traffic route but also beside and/or above the traffic route, for example on a crash barrier at the side of the traffic route.
WO 87/04230 describes a system for defining and controlling traffic routes, wherein road-marking units emitting visible light are provided in the road surface at a distance from units generating said light. In addition, means are provided for transmitting heat to the road-marking units to make sure that these road-marking units function properly under different weather conditions.
A drawback of the known road-marking complex is that it is impossible to emit the light in such a way that the road user observes lines.